An essential element of theater is a dramatic script created by a playwright. Important aspects of the dramatic script are focus, purpose, and point of view. The playwright must choose who and what to write about, which part of a story and which individual character traits to focus upon, and what purpose the play will have. The purpose may be to teach, to raise an important philosophical question, to entertain, to excite certain emotions, or some combination of these.

Like an architect planning a building, a playwright must develop a structure for the play he or she plans to write. Essentials of dramatic structure include plot, conflict, strongly opposed forces, and a reasonable balance between those forces. The opening scene starts the action and sets the tone and style of the piece. The characters, motivated by objectives or goals, then encounter a series of obstacles and complications. The result is a series of crises leading to a climax.

Playwrights generally use either an intensive or an extensive structure. In the intensive form, the action, duration, locales, and number of characters are restricted; in the extensive form, they are expanded. The playwright must also create characters using, chiefly, dialogue and action. In the past, playwrights generally presented extraordinary, "larger-than-life" characters. Modern playwrights, however, often portray ordinary characters that are more typical of a large portion of the population. A playwright may employ stock characters, which are easily recognizable stereotypes. The playwright juxtaposes the characters to highlight their individual traits, often opposing the protagonist with an antagonist of a contrasting character.